Three Arrested At Heathrow

Three men have been arrested after Border Force officers at Heathrow Airport made three separate seizures of cocaine in one day.

In the first case around 7 kilos of the drug was found impregnated in the linings of a sleeping bag and rucksack, and the soles of a pair of shoes.

Roberto Felix Bou Ferrer, 51, a Spanish national living in Dublin, was arrested and charged with attempting to import a controlled substance. He had earlier arrived into Terminal 5 on a flight from Buenos Aires, Argentina, on the morning of Sunday 23 June.

In the second incident later that day around 6 kilos of cocaine was discovered hidden in the linings of a number of coats being carried in luggage.

The seizure led to the arrest of 65-year-old Samuel Ojosuhene Appentteng, a Canadian national who had arrived into Terminal 5 from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The third case saw a 56-year-old Kenneth David Hill from Tottenham, London, arrested on suspicion of attempting to import around a half a kilo of cocaine. He had arrived at Terminal 1 having travelled on a flight from Sao Paulo, Brazil.

If sold in the UK it is estimated the combined 13.5 kilos seized on Sunday would have had a street value of approximately £1.3million.

All three men were charged with attempting to import a class A drug and have appeared before Uxbridge Magistrates where they were remanded in custody until various dates in July.

Border Force Heathrow director Marc Owen said:

In making these seizures Border Force officers at Heathrow have taken a significant quantity of class A drugs out of circulation and prevented it from reaching the streets of the UK.

"My staff are on alert 24 hours a day to stop illegal drugs and other contraband crossing our border. Drug trafficking is a serious offence and those convicted face long prison sentences."

Anyone with information about activity they suspect may be linked to smuggling should call our hotline on 0800 59 500.